"We welcome the Holy Father's statement, which calls on us to clarify everything and to fight resolutely and together against all forms of abuse in the Church and in society," reads a statement from the French Bishops' Conference published on Platform X on Saturday.
In recent months, allegations of sexual assaults on numerous women over the course of his long life have come to light about the French priest, who was once celebrated as the "father of the homeless".
These are said to have included minors.
The Bishops' Conference had already declared on Thursday that it would make its archive material relating to the priest available to researchers and journalists.
Without the release, the documents would only have been accessible 75 years after Abbé Pierre's death - in 2082.
On his return flight from his trip to East Asia on Friday, Pope Francis described Abbé Pierre as a "terrible sinner" who needed to be spoken about.
It is good that such cases become known, the Pope explained.
Sexual abuse is demonic, it destroys the dignity of the person affected.
"The sexual abuse of children and minors is a crime and a disgrace," the Pope concluded.